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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26934064">How Does Your Garden Grow?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnrider/pseuds/Dawnrider'>Dawnrider</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action &amp; Romance, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Howl's Moving Castle Fusion, Blood and Violence, F/M, Gardens &amp; Gardening, Gen, Herbalism</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:10:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26934064</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnrider/pseuds/Dawnrider</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An Ingary-esque AU: Kagome, the newest generation of caretakers of the Higurashi House, finally starts to feel like her garden and business is thriving with the help of her friend Jinenji. Their routine is thrown off by the arrival of an injured visitor who does not want to be found...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Jinenji &amp; Higurashi Kagome</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>105</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/superpixie42/gifts">superpixie42</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The idea for Jinenji and Kagome gardening together is somewhat inspired by @soliska (Tumblr)/ Evilillusions on AO3's story <b><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23990812">Kintsugi</a></b> which you absolutely should go read!</p>
<p>This story is a gift for my dear friend Superpixie42 for her birthday! <em>HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVELY!</em> <br/>You should check out her <b><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/superpixie42/pseuds/superpixie42/works">stories</a></b> as well!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The rain the night before had left the ground wet but not soggy. Birds flit to and from their perches in search of worms still above ground to keep from drowning. There was a freshness in the air that made one take a deep satisfied breath and let it out with a sigh. Kagome did exactly that and found herself smiling as she went into the first row of the herb garden, searching out any weeds hoping to go unnoticed. The damp soil gave up the roots without much fight which was a relief and made the work go faster.  The sun was still weak in the sky, barely above the horizon and filtered through the last of the clouds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her basket bounced and lightly crunched against her hip as she moved from row to row, crouching down to pluck young grass here, a weed there. They would steal nutrients from the herbs, or shade them, and their growth would be stunted.  They wouldn’t thrive as they were meant to. Kagome believed that all things had the ability to thrive if just given the right opportunities and a little help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning, Kagome-sama.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jinenji-kun!  Did you sleep well?” she asked, turning from pinching flowers off of the basil to make sure they focused on making more leaves instead of the flowers.  They would turn bitter in flavor if the flowers were left to their own devices.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. Thank you.” He lumbered past her, surprising her as always that he could squeeze past in the narrow rows and barely ruffle a leaf. He was by far the most delicate male she had ever encountered and yet…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being hanyou - and decidedly “less human” looking - Jinenji garnered a lot of attention, a lot of it negative. None of it was fair.  He was gentle, intelligent, caring… He was the best business partner and companion she could ask for.  He instinctively understood plants on a level Kagome could never hope to comprehend.  He kept them afloat when she would have lost everything within the first few years.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Higurashi House had been home to several generations of spiritualists, miko, witches and warlocks.  Kagome knew that the powers were inherently the same, just the names changed based on the prevailing culture at the time. Currently, she used the term "witch" when with certain customers and miko with others.  They had been offering herbal remedies, mixed with a bit of magic, for well over a century. Some of their customers preferred to speak with Jinenji because of his youkai blood, where others refused to acknowledge his presence specifically because of it. If the town they lived just outside of were larger, she would have the luxury of refusing to serve those customers who were prejudiced against her very dear friend, but they made up a large percentage of their sales.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kagome-sama? The Feverfew is coming in. A few blooms already.” Jinenji had two massive handfuls of Milk Thistle and was obviously headed to the drying shed to hang them. Kagome smiled and nodded her approval.  This growing season was going far better than the year before.  They had much more rain than they were accustomed to and their soil drainage hadn’t been enough. They had lost a lot of their harvest to root rot. This year though, they had incorporated a little more sand into the soil and Jinenji had done the majority of the work to dig drainage channels between the beds to help keep excess water away from the roots and they had constructed some raised beds for their more tender crops so they could manage the environment a little better. Jinenji’s help had been invaluable in all these ventures, his intelligence as much as his physical strength.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Watching him head to the back of the house, the young woman shook her head in  amusement at the tuneless whistle that often accompanied his happier moments.  It was not often he was that uninhibited, even with her, and she relished that it meant he was finally getting more comfortable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been years since Kagome found him collapsed on her doorstep with wounds along his back and arms, clearly protecting his head and face from an onslaught of stones and possibly farming instruments.  He had never told her the full story, too worried about upsetting her to unburden himself. Kagome did know that he had lived in another village, even smaller than theirs, with his mother for decades. Age had finally taken her and, as soon as the villagers realized she was gone, they had chased poor Jinenji out of the only home he had ever known. He lamented once having had to leave their garden behind. He and his mother had made their living off of the herbs and vegetables they grew there. Kagome relied on his growing expertise a great deal while understanding that without a human like her, he would never have been able to make it on his own.  A blessing in that she was the lucky person he had found and befriended… yet it broke her heart that the world forced her dear friend into a life relying on others to be a face and voice for him when he was fully capable on his own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A flash of something in the treeline along the edge of the forest that abutted the gardens caught her attention and Kagome froze.  She didn’t sense anything menacing. She didn’t notice any youki… at first. Her senses suddenly sharpened, pinpointing the flash as a source of what felt like muffled youki.  “Hello?” she called, setting aside her basket and brushing her hands across her skirts.  “Can I help you?” she asked, hoping they would show themselves.  Kagome was a bit startled to hear a yelp and see birds take off from the tree nearest the vegetable beds.  “Are you alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no further answer, but Kagome noted that the feeling of the youki had not disappeared exactly, it was just diminished a bit.  She frowned.  “What’s going on?” She jumped slightly.  How was he so light on his feet like that?! She explained what she’d felt. Jinenji’s bright blue eyes blinked and he lifted his long, broad nose to the air.  She saw his nostrils flare slightly and he shook his head with a disturbed noise.  “There’s blood, Kagome-sama.  Maybe human? I’m not… I’m not sure,” he confessed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kagome blinked and took a breath. A niggling suspicion had started at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t be sure until she got a closer look.  Jinenji followed close behind her for a moment, but she shooed him back. If it were a youkai, she could more than adequately protect herself, and a human might be frightened by Jinenji, no matter how gentle-mannered he was.  She murmured to her partner to go to the shop and retrieve a jar of the yarrow poultice and some bandages. “Leave them by the squash,” she requested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sky was beginning to brighten, but the trees were thick enough to keep the forest dark.  She didn’t mind going in when it was broad daylight, but now in the odd pre dawn light she felt gooseflesh rise along her arms.  There was something sinister about it to her. Yet it was not coming from whoever was hiding in her wood.  Kagome took a deep breath before taking a step, portraying confidence she did not feel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” she called again as she entered the clearing just beyond the underbrush. There was a rustle in the bushes underneath the trees a ways in front of her.  She froze, not wanting to startle them any further.  “Are you injured?  I can help.”  Kagome caught the low hanging branch nearest her, unable to ignore the streak of dark red across the leaves.  She looked up.  Had they fallen out of the tree?  Obviously they were already injured when they were up there.  A human would not have been capable of climbing that tree normally, let alone while bleeding to this degree.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rustle was weaker this time, but she heard it well enough to pinpoint the weak youki that accompanied it. They seemed to be hiding from her, which indicated that she might feel like a threat to them. Definitely not human.  So was it a small youkai? A weakened stronger youkai? A hanyou?  She couldn’t help but wonder… </span>
  <em>
    <span>hope</span>
  </em>
  <span> a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know that you are bleeding.”  A hiss in surprise, perhaps pain. Kagome bit her lip in sympathy.  “I have my friend getting some bandages and some yarrow to help heal your wounds. I-If you won’t let me help you directly, at least take the poultice and the bandages.” She explained where to find it and then slowly backed out of the forest.  The light outside the treeline was hardly brighter than before, but she still felt the change in temperature like stepping into a warm house from the cold.  She noted the requested items laid carefully just by the large-leafed squash as she had asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jinenji was hovering by the shop, barely restraining himself from wringing his hands in his anxiety for her safety.  “Kagome-sama!” he sighed in relief as soon as she was close enough to him.  “You’re unhurt,” he stated the obvious. She couldn’t help but smile a little anxiously.  “Did… did you see it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, they didn’t want me to see them, but I saw the blood.  There seems to be quite a bit of it, Jinenji-kun.  We’ll have to see if they come out to get the supplies. If not, we may have to go in and drag them out.” She thought back on the amount of blood she had spotted in that short span of time in the woods.  If this person continued to lose blood at that rate, they might be unconscious within the hour. Of course, if they were hanyou…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps we should go inside the shop, Kagome-sama. He will spook if we are out here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He?” Jinenji nodded, again waving his large hand toward the shop to encourage her in that direction.  He dipped inside just before she did, the miko turning her head to peek. A slice of red and silver crept through the trellised vines of peas. Kagome kept her head turned enough to catch him out of the corner of her eye as he grabbed the offered supplies and then darted through the early cornstalks to return to the forest. “We might leave food out for him later,” she muttered to herself as she collected a few buckets for flowers and filled them part of the way with cold water.  Jinenji was kind enough to lift two of the heavier ones for her and they returned to their work once Jinenji confirmed that their injured visitor was not close enough to the house to be worried and not too far that he couldn’t be found if needed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A hanyou</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Kagome mused, </span>
  <em>
    <span>another one</span>
  </em>
  <span>.  She was almost positive now. But what if he didn't let her help him?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t understand them.  They worked every single day, moving around one another without a problem, a miko and a hanyou.  It was baffling. It was infuriating. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How did that great lug of a hanyou get in good with a miko?</span>
  </em>
  <span>  There was no way she actually trusted him! She had to have him under a spell or something that made him obedient to her will.  Though he couldn’t detect anything like that. And the oaf did seem pretty independent. Not a chain, manacle, or ofuda in sight. Had she tricked the poor thing? He didn't seem very bright. The big ones rarely were.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inuyasha grumbled to himself from his tree perch, absently patting the spot where her poultice was packed tight against the wound in his side. He had wanted to refuse the help, not trusting her not to try and trap him somehow, but he was also smart enough to know that he wouldn’t make it very far if he kept bleeding. And then Merrick would find him. The inuhanyou shuddered and shifted uncomfortably in the branches.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a breeze that stirred up the scents coming from the garden, occupants and all. He spent a few moments parsing out the different smells. The vegetable plants were most prominent because of their proximity to where he was nestled against the trunk of a large tree. Inuyasha recognized only a few of them at first sniff. The tomatoes were most obvious because of their pungent smell.  His clothes still vaguely smelled of the sweet pea flowers he had brushed by in his scramble to retrieve the healing supplies offered him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something had drawn him here.  In his mad dash through the forest in the rain, his nose had brought him to this place.  Did some instinctual part of him recognize the healing plants? Unlikely. He’d never noticed them before now.  Maybe it was the smell of freshly growing food.  And he had scented a freshmade meal on the smoke from the chimney.  Inuyasha told himself that not having eaten for several days before he arrived must have strengthened his sense of smell such that he honed in on the just ripening vegetables.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman had been leaving him food each day, which both irked and pleased him.  His full stomach couldn’t complain, but his pride was having none of it.  She always left it just within the treeline so he didn’t have to slink out into the garden and he tried to be a decent being and placed the dishes back outside the shaded part of the forest for her to find.  He had noted even that first time that being in the darkened part of the forest made her uncomfortable.  The scent coming off of her at the time had been undeniable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever,” he growled, dropping out of his branch and landing rather gracelessly, for him, on both feet.  He was still recovering from the knife wound to his ribs, the lasting gift from Merrick as he escaped. Inuyasha snarled under his breath, heading to the river nearby to wash up and check his bandages. It had been infected, he knew, but it should have been better by now.  Given his youkai blood, it should have healed days ago.  Yet it remained angry and purple in color, tender to the touch, and sapped his strength if he bumped it.  He had been brought to his knees just the day before when he hit it by accident with the inside of his arm after a bad landing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inuyasha crouched at the river’s edge, looking down into the water and cringing at the pale cast to his skin. He didn’t look well.  If anything found him… attacked… He shook his head.  He had always been vigilant. He never would have survived this long if he hadn’t. “Oh! It’s you.”  He spun around at the delighted cry, his heart jumping into overdrive and his lungs sucking in air as he prepared to leap away.  Only to collapse instead, gasping in pain.  Horrified, he felt tears in his eyes.  It hadn’t hurt this bad before. Was it getting worse?  “Oh goodness.  Are you alright? I didn’t mean to startle you.”  She entered his narrowed vision.  Even with black encroaching on her, she was kinda pretty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“G-Get back,” he hissed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve been poisoned.” Her tone was matter of fact, her eyes wide with concern.  He winced when she stepped closer and he attempted to move back from her.  The best he could do was wiggle a little, which only caused more pain. He couldn’t contain a whimper.  “Please, let me look at it.  I-I might be able to help you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Help me into an early grave!” he wheezed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head.  “You’re going to die if you </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> let me help you!” she snapped, dropping to her knees at his side, her washing forgotten as it tumbled out of the basket.  Inuyasha growled at her, no matter the pain it caused, hoping to scare her back to no avail. She ignored him, only glaring when he dared nip at her with his fangs.  “I’m not afraid of you, so stop it already.  I cannot help you if you’re acting like a cornered animal. And I know for a fact that you are not an animal.”  Her words snapped him out of it more than her gentle touch on his shoulder. Not an animal?  He was stunned speechless, motionless as she slipped his shirt aside so she could see the rough attempt at bandaging he had been doing.  “There, see?” Her hand pushed aside the bandage and she hissed in sympathy with him.  It was as angry as ever and it made all his nerves pulse in time with the throbbing in his side.  “Oh dear… I will need… I need to take you back.  I can’t cleanse this here.  Not like it needs.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not taking me anywhere,” he bit out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kagome-sama might not, but I will.” Inuyasha bared his teeth at the newcomer.  “Enough with the fangs, dog.  If Kagome-sama says you are worth saving, then you are.  So stop arguing and let her help you.” Jinenji huffed with an irritated flare of his nostrils.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inuyasha wanted to fight it, really he did, but the black that had been skirting his vision up to now encroached further until there was nothing.  The last thing he knew was the feel of large hands scooping under his back and carefully lifting him into strong arms.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kagome fights to save the hanyou's life... but at what cost?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CW: Some descriptions of blood, pain, wound care</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Kagome ran through her mental catalog of the herbs in the shop, those in her workshop, and what was still drying or unharvested in the garden.  She listed off the ones she would need to Jinenji aloud as they rushed back to the house. “I’ll need more yarrow and the garlic and the honey. If we are going to stop the spread…”</p>
<p>“You will want turmeric for the inflammation as well, Kagome-sama.” She nodded while worrying her lower lip with her teeth.  “I believe he is stronger than he appears,” Jinenji confessed.  “He is weakened, but something tells me that he is usually very fearsome.” She nodded absently as she continued to run calculations in her head.  Once inside the main house, there was a flurry of motion to make up a cot, get the needed supplies, and Kagome going to cleanse herself before she could start in on the young man’s wound.</p>
<p>“He is restless,” she murmured as she rolled up her sleeves, scrubbing them in hot water and nodding her gratitude when Jinenji handed her a clean towel.  He let out a soft sound of worry when the hanyou on the cot had a pulse in his youki strong enough to rattle the dishes in the cupboard and all the jars on the shelves. “His youki is trying to fight the poison instead of healing him…” Kagome paused to think for another moment before she started, despite the need for urgency in treating him. If she started out wrong, she could end up killing one or both of them. Eyes closed, she focused on the feeling of his aura as it met hers, how it interacted with Jinenji's. With a better understanding of his energy, Kagome took a deep breath and began.</p>
<p>The Higurashi family was a well known line of spiritualists, peculiar in their use of herbalism to focus and amplify their healing and cleansing. Kagome was the successor to her grandfather after her father was killed at a young age. Her grandfather had relied heavily on the practice of herbalism, as his actual magical power was minimal, so Kagome had learned a great deal as a result. It was not uncommon for magical abilities to wax and wane across generations and Kagome was rumored to be one of the strongest miko in the history of the family... though she did not see herself as such. Fortunately for her patient, Kagome was rather adept with both magic - despite her own misgivings - and herbal remedies.</p>
<p>The easiest part was clearing the wound of physical impurities. Kagome sluiced warm water over the wound to clean away the poultice he had been using and any dried blood.  It was still glaringly reddened and her inner sight picked up the dark purple glow of malevolent magic pulsing in time with his heartbeat. It was not strong magic in and of itself, but it had been lurking for some time, wearing down his defenses until it could overwhelm him. Kagome sucked in a breath when the color deepened further and the edges of the wound grew black veins reaching across his ribs toward his heart.  Not just poisoning magic. A Curse. She had to start, <em> now </em>, or she would be too late.</p>
<p>The herbs and honey she needed were mixed in small bowls which she stirred with hot water and wove together with the magic channeled into her fingertips to create a thick paste. She whispered words of power to strengthen their innate properties while pink light flit across her hands and fingers as she carefully spread it over the jagged line of open skin. The hanyou whimpered weakly at her touch but did not wake. Kagome focused on pulling the curse back to the surface, horrified by how deeply it had embedded itself into his body.  Any longer and he would have been struggling to breathe. After that it would have taken his heart.</p>
<p>As she worked on getting tendrils of her magic into the curse seeping into him, she tried to determine what its goal was. It would direct her next steps. If it was meant to kill, as she initially suspected, then she needed to craft a countercurse. If it was intended to bind, as she now feared, she wasn’t sure how she could dissipate it without knowing who the witch or wizard was who placed it. If she couldn’t release him from it, binding spell or not, it would kill him anyway. “I’m sorry,” she whispered by the ear flattened to his head in pain. “I don’t want it to, but this is probably going to hurt.” Kagome could never have braced herself for the unholy sound that left his throat when she dug in to start separating the curse from him.</p>
<p>Her neck prickled and her upper lip almost immediately pebbled with sweat as she struggled to get her magic to cooperate with her and not give in to the pull of the curse trying to drink it in. She felt Jinenji at the door, but could do nothing to acknowledge him when she needed all her attention on the curse trying to coax her into helping it. It wanted more energy to take this hanyou, it wanted to feed off of him, but wasn’t strong enough… yet.  The whispers in her head beckoned for her to just help it along a little.  It wouldn’t hurt, really.  It only wanted to help its wielder.  Was it wrong to want to protect itself? The hanyou would be helpful, not dangerous anymore. He would protect them...</p>
<p>“No,” she huffed.  “No!” Kagome grit her teeth and pulled against the lulling draw of the curse, begging her to let it be, to let it take the familiar.  “Oh gods.... It <em> is </em> a binding,” she sobbed. </p>
<p>There was a moment where she was disjointed, unsure.  What was she going to do to unbind him when she didn’t know who the binder was? How could she… Another howl left the man under her fingertips as the curse slipped her proverbial grasp and dug deeper in.  His whole body bowed off the bed as he let out a cry. Kagome bit her lower lip so hard she drew blood, her sweat taking it down and over her chin.  She took a shaking breath and an apology became her mantra as she swiped more of her paste onto her fingers and stretched the tendrils of her magic into his flesh and extracted the curse until it was suspended between them.</p>
<p>They were both sobbing, the hanyou sucking in painful breaths in his unconscious state, his eyes rolling and his fists clenched so hard she could smell the blood in his palms from his claws. “Kagome-sama…” Jinenji’s voice shook, but he knew better than to approach her. The miko let out a whimper and then stretched her fingers wide, her hands pulling apart slowly until she had the curse woven between them like a dark purple web. She needed to find the lead thread and snap its tether from the wielder, that she knew. But without an origin anchor, the curse would simply slide into him and take him over entirely. He might be taken by the youkai side of his blood. He could die instantly.</p>
<p>Kagome metaphysically felt along the lines stretched out in front of her, plucking at each one to sense the resonance. The tinny ones were just supports, more like filaments than actual cords. The medium tones belonged to the structure of the curse, what gave it its form and purpose. The lead thread was like a bass note, deep and unrelenting. It was the anchor for everything. But she couldn't find it. "Where is it?" she hissed, frustration and worry making her throat tight.  She could feel sweat bead up on her brow, trickling down her temple. Not that she could do anything about it with her hands completely occupied.</p>
<p>“Please, Kagome-sama, please let him go,” Jinenji whimpered desperately, terrified for her safety. Her mind recoiled at the thought.  She couldn’t let him go, couldn’t fail this man. She <em> had </em> to find that lead thread and… and what then? Kagome bit her lip as she continued to search for the deepest foundation of the curse.</p>
<p>And that’s when it hit her. She couldn’t let him go, but she <em> could </em> tether him. If it meant his life, she could do this awful thing until she could find the solution. Loathe as she was to even think the thought, at least he would be safe. <em> Alive </em>. Part of her was tugging at that lead thread before she even recognized it, an urge to tie him tightly to her bubbling up from her gut. It frightened her, how strong the pull was. It echoed of something deep and unknown inside her.  Was it the possible darkness at the very heart of magic? All magic wielders had the potential for it. Some allowed it free reign, while others kept it tightly in check.</p>
<p>The hanyou on the cot in front of her gasped and the sound of it rang in her ears like he might not take another breath. Kagome shoved aside her doubt, her fear, and cried out as she grabbed hold of the lead thread of the curse and ripped it away from where it came in order to anchor it in her own arm. It felt like a needle at first, piercing her with unfamiliar magic. After a moment, it began to bend to her will instead, slowly fading from the acrid purple to a bright pink, finally softening to a blush. The man took another breath, his body finally relaxing onto the cot from its painfully arched position, his muscles relaxing and his hands slowly unclenching at his sides.  Kagome sniffled and shuddered, collapsing against the side of the cot.</p>
<p>The shuffle of large feet made her shiver. She needed to move, to assure her companion that she was alright. But in that precise moment, she hadn’t the energy. "Kagome-sama?" A soft whinny of worry left him without his permission. She knew how much he hated it when his more equine attributes came out. Lifting her head from off of the hanyou's arm was impossible, only her fingers able to move in response to his call. "I… Can I move you to bandage him?" Jinenji asked. She tipped her head just enough for him to understand she was giving permission. Her breath still left her in little sniffles and sobs, too drained to be embarrassed by her lack of control. "Are you hurt?" She shook her head as he gently lifted her under her knees and shoulders. He settled her into her armchair by the cot and patted her shoulder affectionately.</p>
<p>Kagome watched in a proud daze, Jinenji proving that his skills as a healer matched her own… just without the magic. Once he had the inuhanyou cleaned up, applied a new healing paste, and bandaged him, Jinenji brought her a blanket. Gratitude on her lips, Kagome felt the pull of sleep. "Jinenji, will you stay?" she requested. "Wake me if he changes?" He gave her a nod, then settled himself on the floor between them, the glow of the fire warming his broad back.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>He was up and down for several days.  Kagome feared she had lost him entirely at least twice in the course of her healing after the initial fight with the curse. It took almost everything she had to enchant the herbs properly and match them to his youki to clear out the rest of the poisonous magic and leave his aura untouched.  He had cried out, whimpered in his sleep.  It broke her heart to know he was hurting so much and there was little more she could do.  Any more herbs for pain and he might not wake at all. </p>
<p>“Kagome-sama, you need rest.  I will sit with him.” Jinenji’s soft offer made her smile.  His concern, his genuine care.  Even if others had been cruel to him, he had never been unkind to anyone. She knew Jinenji did not trust this new hanyou and yet he was willing to show him kindness and care because he trusted her and her judgement.</p>
<p>“I am alright, Jinenji-kun.  Thank you. He may be disoriented when he wakes and I wouldn’t want him to hurt you by accident.”</p>
<p>“But…”  She raised a hand to stall the argument.  “If you’re sure.” Kagome gave him a smile and a nod. She knew he wouldn't go far.</p>
<p>Kagome could admit she was fatigued, but she had been able to get sleep here and there when the young hanyou had been less restless. Kagome knew that his life depended on her careful monitoring of the mixtures of her magic, the herbs, and the waxing and waning of his youki as he drifted in and out of wakefulness. Too much of any one would throw off the balance, causing him pain or further damage.</p>
<p>She had yet to admit to Jinenji what she'd had to do that night. She feared his judgment, but even more she feared his fear. If Jinenji knew she had bound this new hanyou to her, regardless of the reasoning, he could very well believe her capable of doing the same thing to him. Nevermind that she barely knew how to craft such a spell. She wanted to work out how best to tell him… but first she needed to figure out how to tell <em> this </em> hanyou.</p>
<p>He would find out either when he woke or shortly after. Kagome needed to be prepared for his reaction which, based on his response to her before, would not be good. She couldn't blame him. Binding a youkai, or demon, as a familiar was generally frowned upon in the circles of magic wielders who considered themselves "good." Even if the familiar was willing, it was a reflection on the wielder. Only a magic wielder whose magic was not strong enough on their own would bind a familiar to use theirs. But to bind an unwilling youkai? A hanyou? That was despicable.</p>
<p>Doing it without his permission and his knowledge was unforgivable.</p>
<p>She wished her father or grandfather were still around to guide her. Her father had been much more adept with magic and had a greater historical knowledge of the different types. Kagome only knew enough to protect herself and heal others. Her understanding of curses, the category under which a binding loosely fell, was much more limited than she would like to admit. <em> If I knew more, maybe he wouldn't be trapped now. </em></p>
<p>Kagome pulled herbs and seasoning from her cupboard, put water on to boil, and hunted down her pot of bullion. Hopefully when he finally woke, her new companion - no matter that he didn't want to be - would be hungry. He would need the nutrition if he was going to gain back his strength...</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ha ha, so, funny story...<br/></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Inuyasha comes round to reality. Kagome tries her best to keep her patient healthy.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Amazing artwork commissioned from the lovely <a> @heavenin-hell </a> (Tumblr) Jinenji will be featured in the next chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
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<p>The rain had caught them unawares, which was saying something with his nose. Kagome had scrambled to pull her gardening tools inside while he turned the wheelbarrow over and closed up the coldframe and the sheds. They were still both soaked by the time they got everything squared away, hair and clothes dripping. Inuyasha stoked the fire in the hearth as Kagome went for towels. "You need out of this so you don't catch cold," she scolded him, hands suddenly on his waist to yank at his shirt tails. He yelped at the feel of her icy hands on his sensitive midsection, then scowled at her. Kagome chuckled lightly, but was relentless in getting it up and over his head. How had it come to be that he didn't mind her in his personal space?</p>
<p>She toweled his shoulders and his hair a bit, careful of his ears. Inuyasha shook himself out of his stupor long enough to remind her he wasn't a child, that he could take care of himself. Her gaze was distracted, however, dark eyes locked on the long and jagged area of puckered skin that angled across his ribs. His brows dropped. It was the only scar he had ever had in his life. Being hanyou, he typically healed quickly and completely… but this was different. Kagome had apologized once before, trying to take the blame by saying her magic maybe wasn't strong enough. He felt it likely that his youki was not strong enough, but had simply said she had nothing to apologize for and that there was nothing to be done for it.</p>
<p>Her fingers traced the remnants of his scar, gently, carefully. Not once in his life since his mother died had anyone touched him so softly. Inuyasha bit his lip to hold in a whimper born of the breaking down of his defenses. "Kagome," he breathed. Her dark eyes lifted to his face in question, finding his dilated in the candle light. Her fingers lingered against his skin, unconscious movements of her fingertips brushing her calluses over the slightly rougher texture of his scar. Inuyasha held himself still as long as he could, not wanting to scare her or make a fool of himself. It was just as she leaned into him that he lost the battle.</p>
<p>His fingers delved into her hair as their lips found each other. Inuyasha growled at the way her body molded to his as tightly as her lips. Her wet dress felt chill pressed to his bare skin, contrasting the heat of her mouth as her silken lips slid against his. He wanted to feel the warmth of her skin under his fingers, the softness of her meeting the roughness of him. His thumbs tilted her jaw until her head fell back so he could kiss down her neck, fangs lightly abrading the delicate flesh. Kagome let out a little gasp at the feel of his teeth, her hips hitching forward as a curl of something deliciously spicy entered her scent. Inuyasha rumbled, his desire rising to meet hers. The weight of her draped across his front was perfect and comfortable, a feeling he didn’t have often in the presence of another person.</p>
<p>The spicy scent increased as his fingers trailed down her neck and found the tie at the back of her dress.  It took a bit of tugging to get loose, but his claws helped to part the damp fabric until the bow released and he was able to drag the heavy folds apart. She sighed, murmuring something as his lips trailed across her now exposed shoulder. He felt a rumbling growl in his chest as her scent clouded his mind.</p>
<p>Until a louder rumble not his own rattled the entire house and a flash of light behind his eyelids startled him… awake.</p>
<p>Inuyasha blinked in confusion and shock, the remnants of his dream having a lasting effect on him. Where he lay under a thick blanket near a large hearth. He could feel and smell that he had been clammy with sweat, likely from a fever breaking. He could now smell something cooking in the stockpot hanging by the fire, herbs and chicken… soup perhaps. The spiciness he'd detected in Kagome's scent was in fact from the same pot. <em> Ginger </em>, he identified with another sniff.</p>
<p>The woman herself had her back to him, hard at work at a long table. He was mesmerized by the movement of her slim arms as she ground something with a mortar and pestle. The firelight reflected off a thin sheen of sweat on her bare upper arms… Inuyasha shook his head clear of the creeping thoughts left by that ridiculous dream. He knew better than to get involved with a witch.</p>
<p>Her head popped up and Inuyasha quickly closed his eyes to feign sleep. "Nice try. I know you're awake." She didn't come any closer, leaning back against her bench with her arms crossed over her chest. Inuyasha sighed, then flinched slightly at the next volley of thunder and lightning. Everything felt too loud, too much. "Hm. Light and sound sensitivity… Headache?" It took him another moment to realize that, yes, his head was pounding. She finally moved from her spot and went to the expansive shelf that held jars and bottles and sachets of every size and color. Her delicate fingers trailed almost lovingly across the edges of the shelves as she hunted for something. Her little "aha" of discovery nearly made him smile.</p>
<p>She scooped out a few teaspoons of the powder inside a dark brown jar, then one teaspoon from a clear jar. She stirred them gently until she appeared satisfied with the results, then added water from a small pitcher. He jolted from his daze when he saw magic light her fingertips just before she swirled them in the mixture. He couldn't let her near him with that! Who knew what it could do to him. "No," he croaked out when she came closer.</p>
<p>Her dark eyes were puzzled. "N…" She looked down at her hands where he was staring. "Oh! It's a pain reliever. For your headache. It will help…" She paused at the affronted look on his face. "It will make the pain fade and you'll be able to think more clearly. You've been through a lot."</p>
<p>Inuyasha desperately needed to find a reason not to trust her. A reason why he could refuse her gestures of kindness. But the dark circles under her eyes, the scent of her pervading the room… there was no denying that she had stayed by his side, had healed him. This tiny human woman had saved his life. <em> Whatever that's worth… </em></p>
<p>"You… You haven't told me your name." He stared at her out of the corner of his eye for a long moment, then returned his gaze to the ceiling. "Though I suppose you don't have…"</p>
<p>"Inuyasha." Kagome blinked in surprise. "Name's Inuyasha." He said nothing more and she didn't push the issue, knowing he didn't plan to reveal anything else, even if she prodded. He didn't fight her about smoothing the paste on his forehead though, even shifted his head to let her get to the sides of his jaw where he could feel he'd been clenching his teeth. There was a cooling effect immediately, but the relaxation in his neck and throughout his head took longer. Finally, Inuyasha found he could at least somewhat think straight.</p>
<p>His side ached, which made sense. He knew that damned cut was a problem, he just hadn't understood how much. He touched the spot gingerly, finding clean bandages. Inuyasha pulled back the blanket to look down at it. The patch of skin covered was nearly double the size of the original wound.</p>
<p>"Who… who would do that to you?"</p>
<p>Her hesitant question shot through him. He didn't want to answer. He didn't want her to know the truth of how pathetic he was. More than that, he didn't want to risk her finding the bastard and handing him over. "None of your business, woman."</p>
<p>Her soft sigh was followed by a crack of thunder that rattled the jars on her shelf. "I see." Expecting some kind of retaliation, Inuyasha braced himself. Instead she went to the hearth and looked into the pot simmering away. A swirl of her finger set the liquid inside to turning, the change in the way it bubbled tickling his ears. The smell though… he took a long sniff despite the ache it caused. It was amazing. "I hope you can eat a little," she said, spooning some broth into a bowl and holding it out to him. Inuyasha hesitated only until his grumbling stomach gave him away. She smiled but said nothing as he practically snatched the bowl from her, only barely avoiding spilling hot liquid on himself.</p>
<p>It tasted even better than it smelled, which he realized was partially because he was so desperately hungry.  She allowed him another bowl after the first, but warned him against overdoing it when he hadn’t really eaten in days. He made it about halfway through the bowl before understanding what she meant, barely suppressing the urge to retch. He slowly set the soup aside, relaxing back and trying to calm his overly full stomach.</p>
<p>His headache fading away, his stomach full, it didn't take much for him to drift off to sleep again.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Inuyasha woke hours later, the very beginning of dawn light filtering through the windows. His stomach didn't feel as bad, his head only barely ached, and his side was a dull throb. Overall, considering how he'd been feeling, it was an improvement. He stretched his legs first, taking it slow, then his arm on his good side. He only rolled the wrist on the side with the mangled ribs, knowing a full stretch would… smart. </p>
<p>After several minutes of cataloging his aches, Inuyasha slowly made the attempt to sit up. A short lived attempt. A growl rolled through him at the damnable weakness in his muscles, the swoon that nearly made him vomit. <em> Too soon </em>. He lay back, slowly breathing in and out through gritted teeth, staving off the extra saliva in his mouth and the jumping feeling in his gut that threatened to come out if he dared move.</p>
<p>So enrapt in his efforts not to empty what little contents of his stomach he had onto the floor, Inuyasha missed the shuffle of tired feet, the sweeping of skirts against the floorboards. "Here, smell this. I only did a dot." His nostrils were filled with a faintly biting but cooling scent that slowly calmed his stomach. It reminded him of something from when he was small. Something sweet? "It's peppermint," her light laugh startled him, making him realize he had started sniffing her hand like a curious pup as he tried to recall why the scent was familiar. He reared back, a small snarl curling his lip. She backed off without a word, respecting his space. "It helps with nausea sometimes."</p>
<p>"How'd you know I was…" he paused to let out a small belch, looking away sheepishly.</p>
<p>Kagome gave him a faintly sad smile, surprising him. It wasn't pity, as he anticipated it would be, but true sadness. He could smell it now that his head was a little clearer. "I expected you might be. Your body has been through a lot over the last few days." She made a tentative gesture toward his side and Inuyasha hesitated before nodding that she could come closer to inspect it. She handed him a cup of tea to hold in his good hand to occupy him while she meticulously peeled back the bandages.</p>
<p>The scent of the herbs she used as a poultice became stronger, but he was pleased to note that there was only a hint of fresh blood, likely where the bandages had stuck just a little. She was gentle, mostly looking unless it was necessary to touch. "I usually heal a lot faster than this," he grumbled, needing to fill the silence.</p>
<p>"I assumed as much. Jinenji-kun usually heals fairly fast as well." She paused, glancing up at him out of the corner of her eye. "The spell… it would have killed you. That's probably why it's taking longer to heal than you're used to." Inuyasha didn't miss the flicker of something in her eyes. Fear perhaps? But not of him. He couldn't ignore how confidently she moved in and out of his space, conceding only when it was clear <em> he </em> was uncomfortable. She wasn't even slightly afraid of him. It was an odd feeling. He wasn't sure if he was amazed or annoyed that she didn't seem to see him as a threat.</p>
<p>There was something about how he perceived her too.  Like he could feel her moving around him, even with his eyes closed. Which he needed to do because of the way his head wanted to swoon. Images from his dream flit through his mind’s eye as he lay back again, grunting slightly when Kagome reapplied bandages, but otherwise trying to ignore her. Even as he drifted off to sleep again, he could sense her as she went about cleaning up, rinsing her tools and tending the fire to keep the kettle warm.</p>
<p>The next time he woke felt far less jarring, almost as though he’d never really been asleep, but he oddly feeling much more rested.  His nausea had faded entirely and his head was clearer. His side twinged a little, but it wasn’t so uncomfortable that he had any second thoughts about sitting up to survey the room a little more thoroughly.  His shirt was laid out across a chair beside him, freshly washed, he noted. His coat hung on the back, cleaner than he imagined he’d seen it in weeks. “Don’t do nothin’ by halves, do you, wench?” he muttered to himself, looking around for his healing hostess.</p>
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<p>He was more than a little surprised to find her asleep in an oversized armchair across the way from him, angled toward the hearth but with clear intent to keep an eye on him. She had to have exhausted herself to fall asleep in the same room as an unknown like him. Completely unprotected. It made him feel a seed of protectiveness that quickly took root and started germinating in his gut.  This silly little human needed his protection, witch or not.</p>
<p>Inuyasha shook his head. That… that wasn’t right.  He didn’t trust her, nor should she trust him. But… but she hadn’t been the least bit afraid of him before which meant she didn’t see him as capable of hurting her.  “No,” he breathed as the germinating seed became a seedling against his will. She stirred, eyes fluttering as she seemed to sense his unease, the unrest in his soul. Her gaze rose to him as she uncurled from her chair, that sadness in her gaze as he stared at her in horrified silence.  He could see the truth in her eyes. In the way she winced away from his furious growl, but did not cower. She had no need to fear him.  He couldn’t lift a finger against her.</p>
<p>A familiar couldn’t harm his master.</p>
<p>He was out the door almost before she could blink. "Inuyasha! Wait!" But he didn't. He didn't even look back, bounding through the corn and into the forest as though it were hardly more than a few steps.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kagome and Jinenji try to go about their routines with the past days' events hanging over them.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The forest smelled fresh after the rain. It felt clean, rejuvenated.</p>
<p>Kagome did not.</p>
<p>The entire day and night following Inuyasha’s abrupt departure had been filled with doubt, regret, and fear for his safety.  She had fallen asleep trying to read about binding spells the night before, trying to better understand what she had gotten herself - and him -  into with her impulsive decision. The magic was convoluted but not particularly strong in and of itself. It was a weak bond if not anchored well. In this case, the wielder had obviously tried to force the binding by trying to weaken Inuyasha in the process. Luckily for Inuyasha, his youki was very strong which had continued to fight off the binding as long as it could.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Art commissioned from <a href="https://heavenin--hell.tumblr.com/">Heavenin-Hell</a></p>
<p>Poor Jinenji had been hovering just inside the door of the shop. Her upset only served to upset <em> him </em>, especially because she hadn’t worked up the guts to tell him the truth yet. He didn’t understand why she didn’t want him to go out and hunt down their runaway patient. She did want to… but they couldn’t. Not like he was an escaped prisoner. It would only further reinforce his belief that she was his captor, not his healer.</p>
<p>“Kagome-sama…”</p>
<p>“Sit down, Jinenji-kun… please.” He did so abruptly, his large blue eyes wide in his face. “I need to explain to you what happened.” Slowly, he nodded. She could feel the anxiety radiating off of him. Kagome carefully explained that the curse had been a binding, that it had been anchored in the wound, trying to draw off Inuyasha’s youki to maintain the connection while weakening him at the same time. The only way to unbind him from the wielder who had made the binding spell…</p>
<p>“You tied him to you,” he interrupted, “to save his life.” It was Kagome’s turn to be stunned, plopping down into her chair and sighing.  “Did… did you fear I would be upset with you?” Jinenji whispered.</p>
<p>“I… I suppose I did.”</p>
<p>He clucked his tongue in reprimand, patting his knees in a gesture she noticed often meant he was letting something go.  “You always do things out of the goodness of your heart, Kagome-sama. I would never doubt your intentions.”</p>
<p>“But to bind him without his consent…”</p>
<p>Jineji lifted one hand to stall her words.  “Did you do it to control him?” Slowly she shook her head.  “Do you plan to find a way to unbind him?” That she could agree to emphatically. “Then I do not see how I could be upset with you. You did it to <em> save </em> him. Most would never have risked it. Not for a hanyou.”</p>
<p>“Oh, Jinenji-kun… I’m sorry I doubted you,” she breathed in relief.</p>
<p>His mouth curled in a faint smile. “I would never think you could do something like that with ill intent.” And that was it, wasn’t it? Her fear had been that he would see the darkness she feared could exist within herself and he just… didn’t. Jinenji saw her as good and kind.</p>
<p>Kagome hoped to always live up to his perception of her.</p>
<p>“Now,” he huffed, uncurling from his seated position by the door to look out again at the now tapering rain.  “I know you do not wish to, but is it not in his best interest to…”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “No. Using the binding to call him here would only remind him that I have control over him. He’ll trust me even less than he already does.”</p>
<p>Jinenji grunted something that sounded a bit rude, but not loud enough for her to hear. “He might die if we do nothing.”</p>
<p>“I… I can feel his life force.  He is still weak, but far stronger than he was when we found him. As soon as the weather lets up, I will try to go see him.” Jinenji started to protest. “No. If you come, he will think I intend to force him back here. If he is to come, it must be by his own decision.”</p>
<p>Her companion was not pleased, but he knew there was no convincing her otherwise. Kagome went about gathering supplies that she might need if he allowed her anywhere near him. She also placed a few staple food items that she hoped he would eat. He would need the boost to help him heal. Dried foods were easy enough for them to make, except for meat, which was a struggle. Jinenji didn’t eat meat and Kagome was no hunter. She also didn’t have the skills to cure it herself, so the little she kept on hand was bought from the butcher in the village. Fortunately she could easily trade tinctures and vegetables for what she needed, it was just a matter of getting into the village to do so and they were so busy this time of year aside from trying to rescue a hanyou who didn’t want rescuing.</p>
<p>Kagome set down the basket and went to change into one of her working dresses, the skirt short enough to deal with the mud she knew she would encounter going out into the forest. Trudging around in the cloud-darkened woods was not her idea of a good time, but she knew it was necessary.  Who knew how long this break in the rain would last?</p>
<p>“Here, Kagome-sama.” There was a large brown cloth held out to her when she came down the stairs, startling her a little.  “It’s the oil cloth.  It will… If he accepts it, it will keep him dry in the rain.”  Kagome’s face softened and she smiled.  She took the folded cloth with both hands, allowing her fingers to gently touch his hand as she accepted it. He blushed at the small gesture of gratitude.  “Don’t get too close, alright?” he encouraged as she set the cloth on top of the basket and pulled her cloak over her shoulders. “And you use that command if you have to. Don’t risk yourself for his pride.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Jinenji-kun, I understand.  He wouldn’t try to hurt me… he can’t. But I will be careful, I promise,” she assured him, pressing a hand to his elbow for a moment as she smiled at his worry. He sighed, a puff of air between his lips. With a nod from him, Kagome turned and went out into the lightly misted air that trailed after the heavier rains.  It was her turn to sigh, taking a deep breath and letting it out to steel her nerves.  Knowing Inuyasha couldn’t hurt her, it wasn’t her own safety she feared for. It was him using their bond to keep out of reach, not allowing her near enough to speak to him, let alone lay eyes on his wound. “Won’t know until I try…”</p>
<p>She was mildly surprised to find him as easily as she did.  He must have been hurting more than he wanted to let on, or she had a feeling he would have bolted the moment he noticed her coming closer. He was up a tree, which seemed to be a favorite hiding place for him, and she almost wouldn’t have known he was there were it not for the bond. He did a surprisingly good job of hiding himself in amongst the foliage. Kagome took a breath and stood below him at the trunk, now able to make out his red coat in the darker leaves above.  “Hello, Inuyasha.”</p>
<p>"What do you want, witch?" he snarled. Kagome winced at the way he made “witch” sound like the dirtiest word he knew.</p>
<p>“I came to see you,” she replied simply.</p>
<p>"To see me?” he scoffed. “It's not enough to have me on a leash? Now you want… what? To be friends?!" His laughter was harsh, almost malicious. Kagome stared at him as evenly as she could, trying not to give away how upset she was by his immediate response. He did have every right to be angry with her. She had just hoped that he would have realized that she didn't plan on using the binding for its intended purpose. She had not drawn any of his power, had asked nothing of him, and had no intention of doing either.</p>
<p>"I only came to check your wound. To make sure it was healing alright."</p>
<p>Inuyasha blinked. "And?"</p>
<p>She sighed. "And bring you something to eat."</p>
<p>He sniffed in her direction, but stubbornly remained perched in his tree, staring down at her like a miffed red and silver vulture. Were the circumstances different, she might have laughed at how silly he looked. Instead, Kagome set the basket she'd brought at the base of the trunk and turned to go. "Oi! Where are you going?" She paused, but didn't turn.</p>
<p>"If you do not want my interference, that is your choice."</p>
<p>It took a moment for him to respond. "Y-Yea. Just… go then. No one needs your meddling."</p>
<p>Kagome bit her lip and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before setting off toward the house. No point in staying. He'd never come down to eat something, no matter how hungry he might be, if she stuck around.</p>
<p>Had she been able to stay nearby, she would have been pleased to see him slink down the side of his tree, sniff the basket and then sweep it up and into the branches again.</p>
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<p>Kagome sighed as she stood to stretch her back. She had been staking brussel sprouts to keep them from toppling over as they grew full with little buds. Jinenji was setting up for mixing the cabbage worm repellent she had created the year before - which she offered to do because of the strong smell - so she wanted to make sure the plot was ready. It would need to be applied quickly so Jinenji could get away from the smell.  They had learned last year that Jinenji fainting was difficult for Kagome to manage alone. He was easily twice her size and, try as she might, she couldn’t drag him let alone lift him. She’d had to put a cloth over his nose the last time and wait for him to come to enough to help her move him away. This go around, she planned to have the whole process move fast enough to make it easy and she had sewn a rudimentary face mask for them both to help block the smell from getting too overwhelming.  </p>
<p>With a tug of string and a last wiggle of the stake in front of her, Kagome smiled.  “There. All set.” She brushed her hands free of dirt, rocking back onto her toes to push up, then dusted off her apron and skirts as well. The sun was brighter today, warming the earth and slowly steaming off all the moisture from the rain the day before. Wiping the perspiration from her cheek, Kagome sighed. It was bound to get hotter as the day went on.  “Jinenji-kun!” she called as she moved toward the garden shed, her basket of twine, stakes and scissors on her hip.</p>
<p>“Over here!” He had a large vat and the ingredients set off to the side, a large laundry paddle in the vat, ready for them to get started.  He had even filled it with enough water already. Kagome put her supplies away, rolling up her sleeves and taking a fortifying breath. They both tied their masks over their faces and set to work.  Kagome poured in the dried herbs first, giving them time to soak into the water as Jinenji stirred.  </p>
<p>Then came the more powerful distilled oils from other plants that would steer the cabbage worms and other pests away from the budding sprouts.  “Are you still alright, Jinenji-kun? Do you need me to take over stirring? I can if the smell is too much…”</p>
<p>“No, Kagome-sama, it’s not too much.” She blinked in surprise.  It was almost strong enough to make her eyes water and her sense of smell was nowhere near what Jinenji was capable of. “It’s strong, but not as bad as last year.” He was almost jovial in his response and it struck her as a bit odd. He almost seemed… drunk.</p>
<p>Maybe it was the fumes? Kagome shooed him away just in case and finished mixing, the large paddle straining her arms as the mixture thickened slightly. “I need a little more water.” She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye, moving to fill another bucket. It took him an extra moment to heft the bucket, struggling with the weight. Kagome frowned in concern. Was he ill? Had the fumes really gotten to him more than she realized?</p>
<p>It took them twice as long as it should have to get the repellent spread around the brussel sprouts and the broccoli plants. Jinenji was really struggling with the buckets as the day marched on and Kagome grew more and more worried. He insisted he felt fine, but everything about his movements told her the opposite.  As they were washing up, Kagome allowed her eyes to close and to feel for his youki to see if there was something she could discern from that. His gentle blue aura was present, but definitely smaller, tucked more closely to his body. Kagome blinked, looking at him more critically.</p>
<p>“What is it?” he asked her after a moment.</p>
<p>Finally, it occurred to her to look up at the sky, though at midafternoon, that mattered little. “Oh… Jinenji-kun. It’s a full moon tonight.” The hanyou blinked his big blue eyes at her for a moment before realization seemed to dawn on him as well.  The habitual moment of panic happened much more quickly this time than usual, showing the amount of trust he had begun to have in her. “I’ll put the soup on if you want to get your cot?” she told him gently, reminding him of their ritual ever since she had discovered his secret.</p>
<p>“Th-Thank you, Kagome-sama.” He accepted the towel from her to dry his hands and nodded. Jinenji scurried off to his own little cabin to collect his cot and bedding, bringing it into the big house and setting it beside the hearth to warm. He was always so cold on full moon nights.</p>
<p>Kagome smiled a little sadly that this small thing was seen as such a kindness by her friend. He had been terrified the first time she noticed the drop in his youki and realized that he was changing. He had hidden from her at first, curling into his hut under blankets and shivering. She had eventually learned over hours of gaining his trust that he became much smaller as a human and the scars that littered his frame in his hanyou form were more pronounced. It was part of why he tended to hide. He had been brutalized by the villagers in his home village. His mother, feisty and determined, had protected him as long as she could. But after years, she grew old and frail until she was no longer able to defend her sweet and gentle giant of a son from the viciousness of the bigoted humans around them. Bigoted humans who gladly accepted the well tended, nutritious, and medicinal herbs grown by the “monster and the witch.”</p>
<p>Now he had an <em> actual </em> witch to protect him.</p>
<p>Jinenji was set up by the hearth when she finished putting the old tub and paddle away, rinsed clean and ready for their next batch of whatever concoction they needed. He had already put the stock pot on with water to start for soup. Kagome pulled the dried vegetable powders she used to flavor the stock for any soup she shared with Jinenji, contemplating the vegetables she still had in the root cellar. Carrots, onions, potatoes... and they had some radishes that were ready to be pulled. “I think there’s some butter in the pantry, Jinenji-kun. Do you want me to cook some radish greens for you?”</p>
<p>He grinned a little, going back out to quickly find a few of the largest radishes with nice leafy tops. He helped her clean as she went, often munching on the bits she peeled off as they chatted amiably about how certain crops were doing. Kagome scooped the pile of cut vegetables into the stock pot and added a bit of salt before putting the lid on.</p>
<p>The soup was almost ready when she noticed the lack of light in the kitchen. As the sun fell completely below the horizon, she glanced out of the corner of her eye. Jinenji sat staring out of the large window across from her workbench. She couldn’t miss how he shrank in the soft glow of the moonlight. He automatically grabbed for the waist of his britches, cinching them tighter as his entire frame narrowed and he grew shorter. His shirt hung off of him like a nightshirt, but there wasn’t much to be done about that. The scars on his arms seemed to reflect the moon, shining almost silver. Kagome couldn’t help the momentary pain in her heart that forced her eyes closed, knowing where those wounds came from.</p>
<p>“Kagome-sama?” His already gentle voice was even softer from the change. “Is it alright if I serve us dinner?” he requested.</p>
<p>Smiling softly, Kagome sighed.  “Yes, of course, Jinenji-kun. That would be very kind of you.” He bowed his head a beat, a timid smile on his now human mouth, his dark brown eyes flashing her his gratitude. He pulled two wooden bowls from the shelf and filled them with vegetable soup. He put an extra helping of sauteed radish greens on top of his bowl before taking a moment to cut hunks of bread from the loaf wrapped in beeswax paper. He handed Kagome hers then settled onto his cot by the hearth, soaking in the warmth from fire and his dinner. Kagome’s mind drifted while she sat, slowly sipping her broth and looking into the flames.</p>
<p>As she watched, feeling the warmth, the coziness of her home, she found her thoughts wandering to her unwilling patient. It wasn’t too cold at night this time of year, but she hoped he had used the oiled cloth the day before to stay dry. And his youki would… “Oh,” she gasped. What if… “Oh no!” Kagome set her bowl down with a clatter, a few droplets of soup splattering on the small table, her spoon rattling as it rocked.</p>
<p>“Kagome-sama?”</p>
<p>“Oh no,” she muttered to herself, scampering around the room to grab her shawl and another blanket. She sloshed soup onto her hand as she tried to get it into a small clay pot with a lid, hissing as the hot liquid singed her skin. Jinenji jumped at her sound of pain, but could only look helplessly after her as she ran out the door into the forest with the pot in one hand and an unlit lantern in the other, her shawl trailing behind her in the full moon light.</p>
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